DEATH OF CLARENCE H. FREEMAN.

Otago Witness, Issue 2892, 11 August 1909, Page 67

DEATH OF CLARENCE H. FREEMAN.

With regret we learn of the death of ClaTence H. Freeman, the celebrated player, of Providence, R.1., one-timo champion of the United States] who passed awaj in his fiftieth. -year, on May 21. The immediaio cause of dea-th was an. internal complaint for which he was undergoing- treatment in* hospital. The late C. H. Freeman was a direct descendant .of the Pequot Indians, once m powerful tribe in Quinebaug Valley, Connecticut. He was born in Central Village, Connecticut, December 7, 1859. He learned to play draughts when only seven years of ajje, using black and white heans fox men, as was customary among his people. He first came into prominence as a player in 1876 by winning the Providence championship. A year later he root the famous R. D.-Ya-tea, but was defeated. About Hub dat» he also suffered defeat from E. E. Bowen (author of " Bowen's Cross," etc.), but camil out victorious in matches with J. Hill (author of " Hill's Manual ") »nd J. JET. Irwin. In 1879 he played three matches with M. G. Merry, f,or the championship of Ehoda Island, and won them all. In the sam> year he slso defeated M. C. Priest, champinrn of Pennsylvania, in a big match of fiiQr games. From this time forward he began to be known as one of the premier players of America. In 188£ Wyllie, the celebrated "Herd Laddie," was giving exhibition play «t Phenix, and Freeman made an equal score with him — one win each and one draw. Two years later, 1884, he again met the " Herd Laddie " in a friendly match at Providence, and caused some sensation in the checker world bj winning the match, the score being : — Freeman, 4 ; Wyllie, 1 ; drawn, 15. This Ted to a match with C. F. Barker the following year for the American championship and a stake of 500 dollars, the result being a victory for Freeman, with the score:— FTeeman, 6-; Barker, 5; drawn, 39. A month later, however, he lost the title and) a stake of 100 dollars to A. J. Heffner. whcr~ was at that tima -/trident in Providence. Five years latef Freeman again met und defeated Barker in a match for the American championship and a stak* jf 500 dollars, the ncore being: — Freeman, 2; Barker, 1; drawn, 27 games. This was his last gxetit performance, as shortly afterwards he resigned t?« title and retired from the game. Grea« efforts were made, without avail, to induce him to withdraw iarom hia retirement and play in tho international match with Britainin 1905. His severance from the game was complete Just a few weeks bsfore his deathi an old friend met him casually in Providence, and remarked : " Well. Clarence, what do you know?" He replied: "There is one .thing I don't know anything about, and that is checkers." Freeman ranked high as a blindfold player, and at various times he astonished his opponents and the spectators by the wonderful accuracy of his play. In simultaneous play be al«> excelled, and on ont, occasion at the Providence Draughts Club against a t«a.xn of twenty strong players he won nineteen games, the remaining one being drawn, the exhibition occupying but little more than an hour and a-half. He was an undoubted genius at the game, and his career is, perhaps, second onlj in interest to that bright particular star of American checkers, the late R. D Yates. In_ disposition Freeman was modest and unassuming, and it is said by those who were most intimately acquainted . with hint that he had no taste for malchplaying, and but for the urging of his friends he "would nevci- have enafajed in any important matcli. Despite bis long retirement ha bas made for him?elf an imperishable record in the archives of the game, and his memcry. will long be kent green among draughts - ?)lavers the world over. — Leeds Budsret.

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